First Vice President, Unit Head, Ops Governance, Assurance

United Overseas Bank (Malaysia) Bhd; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading bank in Asia is looking for a seasoned professional for the Operations Assurance Review role in Kuala Lumpur. Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree and at least ten years of relevant experience. This position involves leading a high-performing team, advising on risk management, and coordinating audits. Strong analytical, leadership, and communication skills are crucial for success in this dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum ten years of experience in internal audit, external audit, or compliance.
• Strong understanding of retail and commercial banking operations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing team focused on governance and control reviews.
• Provide advisory support on governance and risk matters to Operations Centers.
• Coordinate audits and inspections by internal and external auditors.

Skills

Leadership abilities

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Problem-solving skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or equivalent

Professional certifications (e.g., CPA, ACCA, CIA)

Job description

About UOB

United Overseas Bank Limited (UOB) is a leading bank in Asia with a global network of more than 500 branches and offices in 19 countries and territories. We operate through our head office in Singapore and subsidiaries in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, together with branches and offices across the Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. With over 80 years of history, we are guided by values that emphasise honour, enterprise, unity, and commitment, striving for long‑term success as a unified team.

Job Description

Operations Assurance Review

• Lead and develop a high‑performing team focused on governance, control reviews, and reporting.
• Develop the annual assurance review plan by assessing residual risks in significant processes and incorporating insights from emerging risk trends to ensure targeted and risk‑based coverage.
• Plan and scope assurance reviews, allocate resources, and ensure coverage across key operational areas.
• Identify operational risks, assess control effectiveness, and recommend enhancements.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across various levels to execute reviews and facilitate discussions on findings and mitigation actions.

Risk Management and Advisory

• Provide advisory support on governance, risk, and control matters to Operations Centers, namely Trade Ops and Global Market Ops.
• Drive a strong risk culture by sharing actionable risk insights, identifying top operational risks, and proactively escalating key issues through the Management Risk Awareness (MRA).
• Track and monitor key indicators of risk culture health and ensure timely escalation of identified risks to T&O Senior Management.
• Drive consistent policy implementation across Operations Centres.
• Monitor control risk health using operational risk tools.
• Implement incident escalation protocols across Operations Centres.
• Engage stakeholders to address incidents, risk indicators, and customer complaints.
• Track, review and monitor the effectiveness of corrective and preventive actions.

Audit Management

• Coordinate audits and inspections by internal audit, external auditors, and regulators.
• Oversee the collation and review of audit‑related submissions from Operations Centres, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Oversee the management of audit observations and assess the adequacy of action plans to address root causes, ensuring sustainable remediation.
• Conduct periodic root‑cause analyses of audit observations to identify significant trends and facilitate the sharing of lessons learned across all Operations Centres.
• Ensure timely closure of audit action plans, including managing approvals for extensions where necessary.

Operations Risk Governance Reporting

• Prepare periodic risk analyses and consolidated control reports for Country and Group T&O management.
• Share lessons learned and best practices to strengthen operational controls.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of governance reports to second‑line functions and regulators.
• Continuously monitor and escalate significant vulnerabilities and emerging risks to senior management for prompt remediation.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or an equivalent field.
• Professional certifications (e.g., CPA, ACCA, CIA) are advantageous.
• Minimum ten years of experience in internal audit, external audit, or compliance.
• Strong understanding of retail and commercial banking operations.
• Proven leadership capabilities and the ability to work independently.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• High level of discretion and sound judgment in applying governance standards.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.

Additional Requirements

Develop, Engage, Execute, Strategise

EEO Statement

UOB is an equal opportunity employer. UOB does not discriminate on the basis of a candidate’s age, race, gender, colour, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or other non‑merit factors. All employment decisions at UOB are based on business needs, job requirements, and qualifications. If you require any assistance or accommodations during the recruitment process, please inform us when you submit your online application.

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